Flour dusting machine



Oct. 20, 1953 A. H. THOMPSON 2,655,897

FLOUR DUSTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1

Almen H. Thompson INVENTOR.

lg am Oct. 20, 1953 THOMPSON 2,655,897

FLOUR DUSTING MACHINE Filed D60. 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4 0 o 42 Fig.5

Almen H. Thompson INVENTOR.

BY 28 W Patented Oct, 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE 2,655,897 FLOUR DUSTING MACHINE Almen 11; Thompson, Fargo, N. llak.

Application December 10, 1951, Serial No; 260,805

'3 Claims. 1

invention relates generally to fiour hop pers and more particularly to a motor driven flour hopper having means for applying auniform layer or film of flour of any desired thickness or density.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a motor driven flour hopper which blows a fine film of flour over a surface desired to be dusted. p v 7 Another object of this invention is'to provide a motor driven flourhopper which :both 'sifts the fibur and applies it to a surface at the same Ahother object of this invention is to provide a compact motordriven flour hopper in which the air distribution housing which fo'rni's'the main fiam' of the hopper has motor drive means mounted'thereon. I

Another Object Of'this invention is'tb rovide simple drive means whereby both the blower for driving the air and the means for sifting the flour may be driven by a single motor;

A further object of this nvention is to provide a motor driven flour hopper inwhich the volume and direction of air can be varied.

With these objects definitely in view, this inventionresides in certain novel features of constructi'oh, combination andarra'ngerhent of ele inents and portions as wiube hereinafter described in detail in the specification,particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying. drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which: i V

Figure 1 is a front'elev'atio'nal view of the i'nhtor driven flour hopper which is the subject of'this invention; v

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the motor driven flour hopper of Figure l as viewed from the right;

Figure 3 is another end elevational view of the motor driven flour hopper of Figure 1 as'yi'ewed from the left;

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional 'vi'eii'v taken substantially along the time indicated by the section lined-4' of Figure 1 and showing the construction and arrangement of the flour hopper;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 1 and showing the constructi'cn of the flour hopper from above;

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial transverse vertical sectional view showing the arrangement of the bottom of the flour hopper with respect to the exit opening for the air, and the adjustable means for controlling the volume and direction and flow of the air; I

Figure '7 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view showing the means for reciprocating theflour sifter screen; and V V Figure 8 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 8-8 bf Figure l.

Similar charactersof reference designate similar or identical elements'a-nd portions through.- out the specification and throughout the different views of the drawings. I Referring now to the drawings in detail this in- 'vention includes an air distribution housing H) which forms the main frame of the motor driven flour hopper. Thehousing In consists of a-pair of downwardly converging sides l2 and I4, end walls l6 and I8, and top walls 20 and 22-.

The end walls-l6 and l 8 form the main supporting legs of the machine, and have-secured to their lower edges elon ated feet 24 and 26-. The elongated feet 24 and 26 are slidalely mounted in elongated U-shaped trackways 28and30reispectively. While the machine is illustrated and described as being slidably mounted in the track-- ways 2-8 and 30, it is readily apparent that the elongated feet 24 and 26-ma-y be secure'd'to any base whereby the machine is made stationary. Although it is not shown, the machine may be mounted over a conveyor which either carries pans to be dusted or dough.

The end walls I6 and i8 extend forwardly of the front size l2 of the housing Ill and also provide end wall structure for a flour hopper 32; Extending between and secured to the edge of the ends I6 and i8 is a front side 34 of the flour hopper 3-2, which is in spaced converging relation to the front side I2'of the housing Ill. The front wall 34, the front side wall I2, the end wall l6 and the end wall 18 form the vertical walls of the flour hopper 32. The bottom of the flour hopper 32 is closed by a reciprocating screen 36 which is mounted in G-shaped-guides 38 and 40 ,secured to the wall 34 and the front side wall I2 respectively. The operation of the sifter screen 36 will be explained'in more detail hereafter;

Referring now to Figure 1 it will be seen that mounted at the upper end of the housing I0 is 'a' blower 42-whichis in alignment with and secured to the shaft 44 of an electric motor 46; In alignment with and secured with a; second shaft 48 of the motor 46 is a gearbox 50; The

gear box 50 is provided with an upwardly extend ing mounting flange 52 and a downwardly extending mounting bracket 54;

Carried by the top wall 28 in flush relation thereto is an elongated reinforcing plate 56. 1A

horizontally disposed-motor mounting plate 58 has one edge secured to the upper end of the reinforcing plate 5 B. The other end of the motor mounting plate 58 is provided with a downturned flange 60. The electric motor 46 is mounted on the motor mounting plate 58-103" a plurality of bolts 62. A V-shaped brace 64 has'its doubled end portion 56 secured to the flange 52 on thegeai box 50 by bolts 68, and extends downwardly and inwardly into engagement with the vertical flange 60 of the mountingplate 58. The brace 64 then extends downwardly and is secured to the upper surface of the reinforcing plate 56 adjacent its 3 lower end. The brace 64 is secured to the fiange 60 by bolts 10. One of the legs of the U-shaped brace 64 is provided with an extension 12 which extends upwardly and outwardly and is secured to the mounting bracket 54.

Extending downwardly from the gear box 50 is a tubular housing 74 through which extends and in which is rotatably journaled a drive shaft 76. The lower end of the tubular housing 14 is supported from the bracket 54 by a clamp member 18. Secured to the end wall 16 is a bracket 80 having mounted therein a bearing with an axis in alignment with the bore of the tubular housing 14. The gear box 50 is further braced by a pair of braces 82 and 84 extending between the bracket 80 and the bracket 54 and secured thereto.

Referring now to Figure 8 particularly, it will be seen that mounted on the end wall I6 adjacent the lower edge of the front wall 34 of the hopper 32 is a housing 86. The housing 86 is provided with a removable cover 88 through which extends the drive shaft !6. The end wall 16 is provided with an elongated slot 99 communicating the flour hopper 32 with the housing 36. Extending through the elongated slot 90 in sliding relation is an arm 92 which is secured to one edge of the flour sifter screen 36. Carried on the lower end of the drive shaft 16 is a cam member 94 overlying the arm 92. The arm 92 is provided with a triangular cam engaging plate 96, whereby the flour sifter screen 36 is reciprocated by engagement of the apex of the triangular cam engaging plate 96 with the cam 94 upon rotation of the drive shaft 16.

Referring now to Figure 5, it will be seen that the opposite end of the flour sifter screen 36 is provided with an elongated rod 95 which is reciprocatingly received in the bore of a sleeve 93 secured to the end wall I8 in alignment with an aperture therethrough. Mounted on the rod 93 between the end of the flour sifter screen 36 and the interior of the 'end wall I8 is a compression spring I which constantly urges the flour sifter screen to the left against the motion of the cam 94. The rod 96 is provided at its outer end with a stop nut I02 threadedly received'thereon.

Referring now to Figure 6, it will be seen that the lower edge of the rear side wall 14 is provided with an elongated plate 04 secured to the edge thereof. Pivotally secured to the hinge plate i 04 is a lower hinge plate 106 which is secured to the hinge pin I08 which is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the hinge plate I04. As is shown in dotted lines, the hinge plate I06 is movable in and out of the path of the air stream passing through the lower end of the air distribution housing I0, whereby the volume and direction of the air may be varied. Securedto the end of the pivot pin I08 is a wing nut H0 for rotating the hinge plate I06.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed to be apparent that when the electric motor 46 is operated, the flour sifter screen 36 is reciprocated back and forth thereby sifting flour i 12 out of the hopper 32. As the same time air is being blown out of the bottomof the air distribution housing and finely distributes the sifted flour over objects placed under the machine.

The operation of this machine will be understood from the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and the drawings. Fu ther description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modifications of the machine varying in minor details from the embodiment of the machine illustrated and described, here, may be resorted to without departure from'the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. A flour dusting machine comprising a vertical air distribution housing, blower means carried at the upper end of said air distribution housing, said air distribution housing tapering towards the lower end-and increasing in length and decreasing in width, a flour hopper carried by said air distribution housing adjacent a lower air outlet end thereof, said flour hopper extending along the length of said air distribution housing, flour distributing means in the form of a reciprocatory sifting screen across a bottom of said flour hopper, said screen being disposed immediately adjacent said lower air outlet and blown air from said blower means evenly di stributing sifted flour from said flour hopper.

2. A flour dusting machinecomprising a vertical air distribution housing, blower means carried at the upper end of said air distribution housing, said air distribution housing tapering towards the lower end and increasing in length and decreasing in width, a flour hopper carried by said air distribution housing adjacent a lower air outlet end thereof, said flour hopper extending along the length of said air distribution housing, flour distributing means in the form of a reciprocatory sifting screen across a bottom of said flour hopper, said screen being disposed immediately adjacent said lower air outlet and blown air from said blower means evenly distributing sifted flour from said flour hopper, a plate hingedly carried by said lower air outlet end at a side remote from said flour hopper, said plate being selectively disposable in the path of blown air for varying the volume and direction of flow of the blown air.

3. In a pastry producing line including an elongated pan support for use in connection with pastry forming machines an air distribution housing, blower means carried at the upper end of said air distribution housing, a flour hopper carried by said air distribution housing adjacent its lower end, means for distributingflour from said flour hopper, said blower means being driven by a motor mounted on said air distribution housing in alignment with said blower means, said motor also operating said flour distributing means, trackways disposed along opposite edges of said pan support, said air distribution housing having spaced feet slidably retained in said trackways, said air distribution housing being movable along said pan support for selectively coating pans supported thereby.

ALMEN H. THOMPSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 432,912 Smith July 22, 1890 637,666 Richter Nov. 21, 1899 1,310,815 Weaver July 22, 1919 1,482,495 Westhaver Feb. 5, 1924 1,797,112 Welsh et a1 Mar. 17, 1931 1,970,336 Pointon et a1. Aug. 14, 1934 2,476,465 Tarrant July 19, 1949 2,505,243 Hewitt et a1. Apr. 25, 1950 

